Personnel Commission

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About Us:

The Personnel Commission is a five-member, independent body. It is the mainstay of the Merit System. Commissioners are private citizens who must be known adherents to the merit principle. Commissioners are appointed for staggered three-year terms, and may be reappointed upon their showing a continued interest and support of Merit System principles and practices.

Two Commissioners are appointed by the Board of Trustees, two are appointed by the Classified employees through their exclusive representative, CSEA(California School Employees Association). The fifth Commissioner is appointed by the other four Commissioners.

The Commissioners are responsible for guaranteeing that employment, retention and promotion for all Classified employees are based on Merit System principles.

Meet our current Commissioners:

Dr. Joseph P. Metoyer, Jr. Chair

Board of Trustees appointee (Term expires 11/30/15)

Dr. Joseph P. Metoyer, Jr. is the current Chair of the Personnel Commission, and is an appointee of the District's Board of Trustees. Dr. Metoyer is the pastor/teacher of ACTS - A Church That Studies in Santa Monica, CA. Dr. Metoyer has served as Commissioner at Santa Monica College since 2001 and is actively involved in the community.

Joy O. Abbott, Vice Chair

Joy O. Abbott, Vice Chair of the Personnel Commission is also an appointee of the Board of Trustees. Commissioner Abbott has three decades of experience as an entertainment industry executive. She is currently Senior Vice President, Sales Admin & Operations World Wide Television at Paramount Pictures. Commissioner Abbott also serves on the Personnel Board of the City of Santa Monica.

Deborah Jansen

CSEA appointee (Term expires 11/30/15)

Deborah Jansen is one of the two CSEA appointees on the Personnel Commission. While employed at SMC for 14 years, Commissioner Jansen worked diligently to preserve and strengthen the Merit System and was a member of many District-wide committees. Now a Senior Human Resources Specialist at Los Angeles Unified School District, she was appointed Commissioner in 2006.

Barbara Greenstein

Barbara Greenstein is the other CSEA appointee on the Personnel Commission. Formerly a Deputy City Attorney at the City of Santa Monica (retired), Commissioner Greenstein specializes in the areas of labor and employment law. She is an active member of several professional legal associations.

Lawrence Leoneis the newest member of the Personnel Commission, and is an appointee of the Personnel Commission. Commissioner Leone is a certified specialist in Family Law and was formerly a partner in the law firm of Trope and Trope. He was a member of the Elkins Task Force with the Administrative Office of the Court (AOC). He has served two terms on the Los Angeles County Bar Association of Trustees and the LACBA Foundation. He is chief legal counsel for Island Outpost, a nonprofit corporation that promotes international science projects and education. He has been a resident of Santa Monica for four decades and is certified in mediation and collaborative law.